Update: Affliction Cancels ‘Trilogy’

A week of misfortune turned to disaster for Affliction
Entertainment on Friday, as the promotion canceled Affliction
“Trilogy,” which had been scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Honda Center
in Anaheim, Calif.

“Finding an opponent for the number one-ranked MMA heavyweight
champion in such a short period of time was a huge endeavor, and
I’m thrilled at the amount of fighters willing to take on this
challenge,” Affliction Entertainment Vice President Tom Atencio
said in a news release. “But in the end, we just didn’t have enough
time to promote a new fight to our standards.”

SI.com reported the news first Friday morning, and Sherdog.com
confirmed shortly after. The cancellation -- which could spell the
end of Affliction's year-long run as a mixed martial arts promotion
-- comes on the heels of heavyweight Josh
Barnett's failed drug test, which forced him out of the
“Trilogy” main event against Fedor
Emelianenko on Wednesday. Barnett, 32, tested positive for a
banned anabolic steroid and was denied licensure by the California
State Athletic Commission.